4.27.2012 Art at YVR

The transit ride to the airport on my last day certainly put a damper on the otherwise positive impressions I had of the Vancouver transit system.

There was over an hour-long wait for the skytrain to YVR, an incredibly long time when you consider the fact that a train was scheduled to arrive every 12 minutes. To make matters worse, there were about 3-4 trains during that period labelled with the YVR destination, only to change their route in the minutes leading up to their immediate arrival at the station. It was enough to drive one crazy.

I'm just lucky that there was extra time on the itinerary dedicated to the airport because I wanted to take the self-guided YVR tour. The YVR actually houses some incredible aboriginal artworks, including the famous Spirit of Haida Gawaii by Bill Reid.

For reference, here's the pdf guide:www.coasthotels.com/resources/pdf/cva/Art_&_Architecture.pdf

Right off the skytrain station is Cedar Connection. You can't see it in the photos but inside the structure are weave-like patterns symbolizing the many uses of cedar in aboriginal daily life.

This piece is not in the pdf guide but it's called Celebrating Flight. There are light installations on the ceiling that are representative of the Northern Lights. I think the totem pole itself is supposed to be representative of the Vancouver community. If you look closely, the word "sky" in Chinese can be found on the totem.




The piece de resistance. The Spirit of Haida Gwaii, The Jade Canoe by Bill Reid. It is much larger than I had anticipated. Most of the statues displayed in his gallery are much smaller in size.

The details are amazing. Every crevice is another surprise. There are so many different animals in this piece that half the fun is to see if you can find them all. Unlike the gallery, you can actually touch this great work of art. You can see where the patina has worn off from the touching and the rubbing. Maybe over time, the entire patina will wear off. It'll definitely be interesting to see the Spirit of Haida Gwaii without the patina.

More pieces of art.

Clayoquot Welcome Figures.

Just outside the airport. Three 'Ksams Totems.

Supernatural World. I really like the killer whale in the foreground.

Some much needed comedic relief. 

Even something as mundane as an airport doorway is decorated with aboriginal art. Very cool.

 

There are so many more amazing artworks at the YVR. Unfortunately, not all of them are easily accessible by the general public. Some are located after the security check in the international terminal so I couldn't get to them. If you happen to be in the international terminal at YVR, go check them out. Here's a useful link: The YVR Art Foundation.